YAC 3:17 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT But the wisdom from above first indeed is pure, then peaceable, gentle, cooperative, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, sincere.

UST But the person whom God has taught to be wise is, first of all, morally pure. Such a person also makes peace with others. He is kind to them and gets along with them well. He is generous to people who do not deserve it, and he does practical things to help others. He does not favor one person over another, and he does not pretend to be something that he is not.

BLB But the wisdom from above is indeed first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and of good fruits, impartial, sincere.

AICNT But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, [[and]][fn] sincere.

3:17, and: Some manuscripts include. 𝔓100 BYZ TR

OEB But the wisdom from above is, before everything else, pure; then peace-loving, gentle, open to conviction, rich in compassion and good deeds, and free from partiality and insincerity.

WEBBE But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical.

LSV but the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, well-convinced, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical—

FBV However, wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure, and it also brings peace. It is kind and open to reason. It is full of mercy and produces good things. It is genuine and not hypocritical.

TCNT But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and unhypocritical.

T4T But when people are wise [PRS] in the way that God [MTY] wants them to be, they are pure in every way, which God considers to be very important. They also act peaceably towards others, they ◄are considerate of/think about the rights and feelings of► others, they are willing to yield to the wishes of others, they act compassionately toward others, and they do all kinds of good things for others [MET]. How they treat others does not depend on ◄others’ status/whether others are important or not►, and they are sincere in all they do.

LEB But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

BBE But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is.

Moff The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, forbearing, conciliatory, full of mercy and wholesome fruit, unambiguous, straightforward;

Wymth The wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceful, courteous, not self-willed, full of compassion and kind actions, free from favouritism and from all insincerity.

ASV But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.

DRA But the wisdom, that is from above, first indeed is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.

YLT and the wisdom from above, first, indeed, is pure, then peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of kindness and good fruits, uncontentious, and unhypocritical: —

Drby But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned.

RV But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.

SLT And the wisdom from above is truly first pure, then peaceful, decorous, docile, full of mercy and good fruits, not separated, and unfeigned.

Wbstr But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

KJB-1769 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
(But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. )

KJB-1611 But the wisedome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be intreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, [fn]without partialitie, and without hypocrisie.
(But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partialitie, and without hypocrisy.)

3:17 Or, without wrangling.

Bshps But the wisdome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaseable, gentle, and easie to be entreated, full of mercie and good fruites, without iudgyng, without simulation:
(But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaseable, gentle, and easie to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without iudging, without simulation:)

Gnva But the wisedome that is from aboue, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercie and good fruites, without iudging, and without hipocrisie.
(But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easie to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, and without hipocrisie. )

Cvdl But the wissdom that is fro aboue, is fyrst pure, the peasable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good frutes, without iudgynge, and without simulacion:
(But the wissdom that is from above, is first pure, the peasable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without iudging, and without simulation:)

TNT But the wisdom that is from above is fyrst pure then peasable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good frutes without iudgynge and without simulacion:
(But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peasable gentle and easy to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without iudging and without simulation: )

Wycl But wisdom that is from aboue, first it is chast, aftirward pesible, mylde, able to be counseilid, consentinge to goode thingis, ful of merci and of goode fruytis, demynge with out feynyng.
(But wisdom that is from above, first it is chast, afterward peaceable, mylde, able to be counseilid, consentinge to good things, full of mercy and of good fruits, deming with out feyning.)

Luth Die Weisheit aber von oben her ist aufs erste keusch, danach friedsam, gelinde, lässet sich sagen, voll Barmherzigkeit und guter Früchte, unparteiisch, ohne Heuchelei.
(The wise_(people) but from above her is onto first keusch, after/thereafter/then friedsam, gelinde, lets itself/yourself/themselves say, full/whole compassion and good fruit, unparteiisch, without hypocrisy/pretence.)

ClVg Quæ autem desursum est sapientia, primum quidem pudica est, deinde pacifica, modesta, suadibilis, bonus consentiens, plena misericordia et fructibus bonis, non judicans, sine simulatione.[fn]
(Which however desursum it_is wisdom, first indeed pudica it_is, then/next pacifica, modesta, suadibilis, good/kind/gracious consentiens, full mercy and fruits good, not/no judging, without at_the_same_timeatione. )

3.17 Quæ autem. Hæc est mansuetudo quam superius habendam esse præcepit, zelo amaritudinis et contentionibus adversa. Primum quidem pudica est. Nisi primum pudicitia sedeat in mente, nulla perfectio sequetur in opere. Suadibilis, bonis consentiens. Si quid minus agit, vel propter ignorantiam, vel propter negligentiam, bonorum suasioni assensum præbet.

3.17 Which however. This it_is meekness how above habendam to_be ordered, zeal amaritudinis and contentionibus adversa. Primum indeed pudica it_is. Unless first pudicitia sedeat in/into/on mind, none perfection will_follow in/into/on by_work. Suadibilis, good consentiens. When/But_if what minus acts, or because ignorance, or because negligence, of_goods their_ownioni assensum provides.

UGNT ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία, πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος, ἀνυπόκριτος.
(haʸ de anōthen sofia, prōton men hagnaʸ estin, epeita eiraʸnikaʸ, epieikaʸs, eupeithaʸs, mestaʸ eleous kai karpōn agathōn, adiakritos, anupokritos.)

SBL-GNT ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ⸀ἀδιάκριτος, ἀνυπόκριτος·
(haʸ de anōthen sofia prōton men hagnaʸ estin, epeita eiraʸnikaʸ, epieikaʸs, eupeithaʸs, mestaʸ eleous kai karpōn agathōn, ⸀adiakritos, anupokritos;)

RP-GNT Ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος καὶ ἀνυπόκριτος.
(Haʸ de anōthen sofia prōton men hagnaʸ estin, epeita eiraʸnikaʸ, epieikaʸs, eupeithaʸs, mestaʸ eleous kai karpōn agathōn, adiakritos kai anupokritos.)

TC-GNT Ἡ δὲ ἄνωθεν σοφία πρῶτον μὲν ἁγνή ἐστιν, ἔπειτα εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής, εὐπειθής, μεστὴ ἐλέους καὶ καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀδιάκριτος [fn]καὶ ἀνυπόκριτος.
(Haʸ de anōthen sofia prōton men hagnaʸ estin, epeita eiraʸnikaʸ, epieikaʸs, eupeithaʸs, mestaʸ eleous kai karpōn agathōn, adiakritos kai anupokritos. )

3:17 και ¦ — CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:13–18: The wisdom of God is quite different from the wisdom of the devil

This section has three paragraphs. First, in 3:13 James introduced the topic of wisdom. Then he continued with two paragraphs. In each paragraph he discussed one type of wisdom. The first type he discussed (in 3:14–16) is the false wisdom that does not come from God. The second type he discussed (in 3:17–18) is the true wisdom that does come from God.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

True Wisdom Comes from God (NLT)

Two Kinds of Wisdom (NIV)

Paragraph 3:17–18

This paragraph discusses true wisdom. This wisdom is from God.

3:17

In this verse, James used seven Greek terms to describe true wisdom. The number of words that you need in your language to translate these seven terms is not the important matter. In some languages, it may be natural to translate these seven Greek terms with fewer than seven terms. In other languages, more than seven terms may be needed. For example, the CEV uses eight terms:

But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere.

You should use the number of terms necessary in your language to cover the same area of meaning that the Greek does with its seven terms.

3:17a

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,

¶ But the wisdom that is from heaven/above is firstly pure.
¶ But the people whom God makes wise are most importantly pure/clean.

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But introduces a contrast. The contrast is between earthly wisdom (in 3:15) and heavenly wisdom (here in 3:17).

the wisdom from above: The term “from above” refers to God. For example:

the wisdom that comes from God (NCV)

(This same term also occurs in 3:15a.)

This clause contains a figure of speech called personification. In this personification, James speaks of wisdom as if it were a person who is pure, peace-loving, considerate, and so on.

There are at least two ways to translate this clause:

Keep the personification. For example:
the wisdom from above (NLT)
the wisdom that comes from above (CEV)
the wisdom that God gives
Translate the meaning. For example:
the person whose wisdom comes from God
the person whom God makes wise

is first of all pure: The phrase first of all means “most importantly.” James listed seven Greek terms to describe wisdom. Being pure is the most important one.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

is firstly pure

is most importantly pure

In some languages, the most important term in a list occurs last. If this is the case in your language, you should put your word for “pure” at the end of the list.

pure: The Greek word that the BSB translates as pure means “free from faults,” and “morally undefiled.” If a person is pure, he is not contaminated by any desires that do not come from God.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

faultless

without sinful desires

only desires to please God

3:17b

then peace-loving,

It is also peaceful,
They do not cause quarrels/fights,

peace-loving: A peace-loving person is someone who has peaceful relationships with other people. He also helps others get along peacefully. For example, he may try to stop people from quarreling or try to make peace among enemies.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

peaceful (GNT)

cooperative

friendly (CEV)

does not cause quarrels/fights

3:17c

gentle,

and considers the feelings/opinions of others,
they are not harsh towards people,

gentle: The Greek word that the BSB translates as gentle in the sense of not insisting on one’s own rights and opinions. A person with this quality considers the feelings and needs of others. This word often describes a leader (king or judge) who is considerate/merciful in dealing with people rather than being strict and severe.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

considerate (NIV)

considers the opinions/needs of others

respectful to others

not harsh toward people

3:17d

accommodating,

and obedient,
they are not stubborn/obstinate,

accommodating: The Greek word that the BSB translates as accommodating refers to someone who is:

open to listen to and be persuaded by the good reasons and ideas of others
obedient and submissive

Such a person is not stubborn. If you have a word that combines the ideas of (a) and (b), it would be good to use it here. If you have words that mean either (a) or (b), it is recommended that you choose a word that means (a).

Some other ways to translate this word are:

willing to yield (NRSV)

open to reason (RSV)

not stubborn

open-minded (REB)

listens to what other people say

3:17e

full of mercy and good fruit,

and is very compassionate, and does many good deeds/works
they have pity for other people and are always doing good deeds.

full of mercy: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates literally as full of mercy means always ready to show kindness to people who are in need. It is not just feeling sympathetic but includes doing deeds that express love and concern for them.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

completely merciful

has pity/mercy

always ready to help those who are troubled (NCV)

3:17f

impartial, and sincere.

and is not prejudiced and is honest.
They do not show favoritism and are not hypocrites.

impartial: There are two main ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as impartial:

It means without making distinctions, without being partial. This person is someone who treats everyone fairly. He is not one who treats some people kindly and other people unkindly.Laws, page 164; Davids (1982), page 154; Mitton, page 141; Moo (1985), page 136; Martin, page 134. For example, the GNT says:
it is free from prejudice (BSB, NIV, NRSV, NJB, NET, GW, GNT, KJV, ESV, NLT, NCV, JBP)
It means without doubting, without uncertainty. A person such as this stands wholeheartedly for the truth and does not have divided loyalties.Alford, page 310–311; Huther, page 169; Mayor, page 127; Ropes, page 250; Adamson (1976), page 156; Hiebert, page 236; McCartney, page 202. For example, the NASB says:
unwavering (NASB, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which is followed by the majority of recent versions and commentators.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

does not treat people differently

does not show favoritism

does not prefer/favor one person above another

sincere: The Greek word that the BSB translates as sincere describes a genuine servant of God and the church. It describes someone who is not trying to deceive others. He is not pretending to be something that he is not.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

honest (NCV)

without hypocrisy (KJV)

does not pretend

Parallel YAC 3:17

Section 3:13–18: The wisdom of God is quite different from the wisdom of the devil

Paragraph 3:17–18

3:17

3:17a

3:17b

3:17c

3:17d

3:17e

3:17f